Arne Slot was enthroned in Liverpool way back before the summer stretched over Merseyside, but already, the Dutch tactician has won over the fanbase.
There was no currying of favour from the man who stepped into Jurgen Klopp’s shoes. No. Liverpool have been treated to a head coach of different proportions. Not quite the inverse of the larger-than-life German, who won so much, gave so much, but whose coolness and businesslike personality have proved perfect for the Anfield atmosphere.
The sole acquisition of Federico Chiesa, joining from Juventus for an eye-catching £12.5m, was viewed with indifference. This is not an insult to the Italian, who is a fantastic, dynamic forward, but rather an annoyance at perceived stagnancy in the market.
Liverpool were a day late and a dollar short in the Premier League title race last term – and failed from promising positions in the FA Cup and Europa League too. Erstwhile transfer inaction had led to tactical bumps and systematic decay.
The Reds still outshone most opponents, most of the time, but proved inferior against the Manchester City juggernaut and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal status climber.
The frontline, formidable for the most part, faltered toward the backend of the campaign, taking the crux of the issues that pulled Liverpool away from silverware beyond that of the Carabao Cup. It’s now purring once again, but the Reds’ defence has been reborn under new management, with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of it.
Virgil van Dijk's season in numbers
There’s a case to be made that Van Dijk has been the best player in the Premier League so far this season – perhaps even across the whole of Europe.
The Liverpool and Netherlands captain would be in the conversation, for sure. While he’s been immense across the past few seasons under Klopp’s wing, the Reds haven’t looked as redoubtable in defence as they were several years ago, when the Premier League and Champions League titles were claimed.
Part of that was a by-product emerging from Van Dijk’s knee injury that sidelined him for most of the 2020/21 campaign. Since then, he’s restored his position as one of his generation’s finest players but has had to make changes.
Now, he looks back to his finest level, operating with a mix of high-level intelligence and commanding defending that has even led Paolo Maldini to pronounce him “the best defender in history”.
The skipper has entered the final year of his £220k-per-week contract, alongside Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold (and Nat Phillips).
While he’s now 33 years old, Van Dijk looks set to remain one of the finest defenders in the game for the next few years at the least, and must be kept at the club. FSG might not concur, though, for he would certainly look to raise his wages above their already lofty height.
1.
Mohamed Salah
£350k-per-week
2.
Virgil van Dijk
£220k-per-week
3.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
£180k-per-week
4=
Alexis Mac Allister
£150k-per-week
4=
Federico Chiesa
£150k-per-week
4=
Alisson Becker
£150k-per-week
4=
Ryan Gravenberch
£150k-per-week
He’d want to meet the ballpark that Salah currently sits in, taking him to a place that no other Liverpool star has ventured, financially, before. It would even see him jump ahead of Roberto Firmino’s mouth-watering package over in the Saudi Pro League, emphasising the figures that FSG will be chewing over.
Why Liverpool let Bobby Firmino go
It was the right time to let Firmino leave. One of the most iconic players in Liverpool’s modern history, Firmino’s arrival on Merseyside actually predated that of Klopp, with the Brazilian completing a £29m transfer from Hoffenheim in July 2015.
Firmino formed part of the core of Liverpool’s triumphs over the past decade, amassing 362 appearances for the Reds and notching 186 goal contributions. He played 355 matches under Klopp’s wing, more than any other player across the German’s distinguished managerial career.
He was still at the top of his game when his contract ran out. As per FBref, the silky striker ranked among the top 3% of positional peers during the 2022/23 Premier League season for goals scored, the top 9% for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes and the top 16% for tackles.
He really was the “complete footballer”, as Klopp once called him. Cody Gakpo was signed for £35m midway through the South American’s final term as an ostensible replacement, and though he’s been excellent this year, Gakpo has plenty to do before establishing himself as a superstar of the same standard.
In a way, Firmino’s quality is an indefinable thing. He was never the most clinical of forwards but played with a unique blend of magic and conviction that made him a special cog at the heart of one of the Premier League’s finest-ever frontlines. The Athletic’s Jack Lang once described him as a “workhorse-wizard” to highlight this point.
Liverpool’s sweeping talent across the frontline suggests that Firmino, indeed now 33, isn’t missed – especially with Gakpo starting to grow into his skin. However, the Brazilian played a glue-like role in constructing Klopp’s iconic attack and winning hordes of major honours.
Given that he’s now earning over £300k per week in the Saudi Pro League, approaching the twilit phase of his career, he’s probably contented with his decision, having achieved immortal status throughout the wending red streets of Merseyside.
Actually pocketing £305k per week, tax-free, in the Gulf, the 33-year-old Firmino has scored 12 goals and added seven assists for Al Ahli across the past year and a bit, perhaps not playing with the intensity that won him immortal status on Merseyside.
Van Dijk would want a salary that stretches over into Salah’s realm, but he’d probably want to earn more than his former teammate Firmino too.
Liverpool must get that one done – but they must also miss their Brazilian maestro, who may well be performing with gusto and grace in the Premier League today, had his contract been renewed.
Perhaps that’s a subtle hint that FSG must act quickly this time around, and tie down their biggest and best players.
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